8 times World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb has been testing the Citroën DS3 WRC on the roads of the Monte Carlo just weeks ahead of the first round of the WRC season, which will take place between the 17th and 22nd of January in the Principality of Monaco, and here is a short video documenting the event. The Monte Carlo rally has just been reinstated in the World Rally Championship calendar after a 3 year long absence, but this fact did not dent its status as the most prestigious and famous rally race of the planet, and Mr.Loeb knows that only too well having won the event no less than 6 times. We will see whether this year it will be a good start for the Frenchman’s 9th title campaign.

video | Motors Television

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The Citroen DS3 Cabriolet looks like it won’t have the same folding roof mechanism as the Fiat 500C, despite this being considered the favoured option for some time. It seems like the DS3 will go “anti-retro” again, and have a mixed folding roof mechanism which maintains the front look of the hatchback and which finishes in a soft top fabric roof which folds back entirely onto the boot.

From the design, we can see that structural rigidity will be maintained through the door frames which will stay the same. Rear passengers however, will get a full open air experience in a style that resembles some open top jeeps. All will be revealed at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, when the Citroen DS3 cabriolet will probably debut.

Source | Autosblog.fr

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Italian tuner Romeo Ferraris presents its latest creation: a sporty rendition of Citroen DS3 renamed DS3 Ecurie. The tuning uses a white livery with many details featuring the colors of the French national flag: wing mirror shells, front bumper and hatch all sport the classic red, blue and white pattern. The same theme appears on the interior where pedals, side panels and Sparco leather seats use the same combination of colors.

Romeo Ferraris’s DS3 Ecurie is a plain two seater, with just enough room behind the front row to accommodate two helmets and a fire-extinguisher. The tuning will also use a set of 18″ alloys courtesy of OZ Racing - fitted with Pirelli performance tyres - and new suspension provided by Bilstein and Eibach Federn. The Milan-based tuner performed some unspecified work on the standard 1.6-litre turbocharged engine too, boosting its output from 202 hp up to 220 hp. Following its official unveiling at the Monza Rally Show this last weekend, the model will be introduced to the internet public in a few days through its dedicated official website.

View the full Romeo Ferraris Citroen DS3 Ecurie photo gallery

Pictures | Autoblog.it

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This last weekend Citroën DS3 won its 1st manufacturer World Rally Championship during the last WRC event of the season in Wales, which is also the 7th one for the French manufacturer in the last 9 years (with 3 wins each for the Xsara and the C4). Contextually, French legend Sebastien Loeb was crowned World Champion for the 8th consecutive year - strengthening his status as the most successful driver in the sport’s history - even though he couldn’t finish the race because of an accident with a spectator in a hire car.

Citroën DS3 WRC is powered by a four-cylinder, 1,598 cc turbocharged engine, with 4 valves per cylinder and direct injection controlled by a Magneti Marelli SRP-HP unit. Designed and built from start to finish by Citroën Racing, this engine delivers 300 hp at 6,000 rpm and 350 Nm at 3,250 rpm. The power gets to all four wheels through a manual 6 speed sequential transmission by Savel mated to a cerametallic twin-disk clutch. The car uses ventilated 4 piston calipers and disc brakes on both ends - whose diameter changes according to the surface - while the suspension (McPherson type for both axles) has been specifically developed by Citroën Racing.

Pictures | Citroen-wrc.com

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The Citroen DS3 Racing will get a new version in the future as the company keeps its DS line, and the original DS3 version, alive. With a series of special edition Citroen DS3 models keeping the market interested, the practice of using exclusive options and new versions will extend from the hot hatch to the larger and more luxury Citroen DS4 and Citroen DS5 models.

In speaking to the WhatACar site, Citroen product planning director Thomas d’Haussy says: “We will be offering exclusive options and probably exclusive models. We have already done this a little with the DS3, including versions with matt finish paint. The policy will be extended to the DS4 and Citroen DS5 review, but perhaps in different ways.”

The process will mostly involve limited edition interiors and new paint jobs, but the Citroen DS3 Racing itself has performed beyond expectations and something new in the near future will be reserved for it. No concrete details are forthcoming, but the racing model has been a much bigger seller than originally planned and a revamped version will attempt to drive that demand even further.

What’s more a hot version of the DS4 is also in the works. While hard to imagine, d’Haussy apparently says: “We have a lot of imagination.” We can also expect to see big plans for the Chinese car market as Citroen takes advantage of its growing presence there.

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A special edition Citroen DS3 Ultra Prestige model will be launched at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. It will go into production only in 2012 and has been designed to celebrate the 100,000 models sold of the DS3 model over the 18 months since it was first launched.

At this stage we’ve only got pics of the DS3 Ultra Prestige as neither engine options nor pricing has been released yet. The model features 17-inch diamond cut wheels, blacked-out door frames, mirrors and bumpers, and a new Monogramme graphic on the roof.

On the inside the DS3 Ultra Prestige has a pure white finish for the instrumentation background and leather trim on the door panels and central arm rest. Black and white sports seats are available with the same upholstery style as the DS4 and DS5. If Renault wants to revive its Alpine brand as a DS competitor, it had best get to work.

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A new Citroen DS3 convertible will be part of an expanding Citroen DS model range, according to an interview with PSA brands head, Jean-Marc Gales and Automotive News Europe. Among the news about the growth of the company in global markets, including China, there is more on what we can expect from the DS range of upmarket models.

With the DS4 and DS5 launched this year, it will be a while before we see anything new. Gales says the company intends on focusing on a year of production of the current DS line-up in 2012, but a new Citroen DS3 convertible will also be released. It will be the first model in a new expansion plan, and could be followed by a sports version of the DS4, similar to the DS3 Racing.

Still talking hypothetically, Gales then adds that room for a Citroen DS2 entry-level model could be found, and a larger Citroen DS6 flagship could be developed - the sedan version of the Metropolis concept car. None of that has been officially confirmed as such, but with total DS sales in 2012 of about 170,000 to 180,000 units, Citroen will be wanting to build on the range’s success as part of its global expansion.

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The Citroen DS3 has reached the sales figure of 100,000 units sold since it was first launched in March 2010. This Citroen DS3 Flower celebrates that landmark with a bicolour DS3 with bright pink roof and flower motifs. The company has released the news of the sales figures with a flourish on the types of DS3 models being ordered. It says two out of three customers choose top-ranging models when ordering. The fuschia pink features on the interior trim and other personalised components of the car. Let’s see if the DS4 and DS5 will be able to match the “petite chic” of the DS3 and its sales success….

Source | Autosblog.fr

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The Citroen DS3 gets a new sober soul in this elegant special edition with a matte grey paint job. The DS3 Grey Matter provides a contrast to the usual sporty look of the DS3 with a black or white roof, the grey exterior and chrome trim. The interior has Mistral leather finish and MyWay Select Comfort pack and navigation system. That package contains air conditioning and GPS system.

The DS3 Grey Matter comes with the 1.6 VTi engine with 120 hp, and the 1.6 THP with 150 hp, offered at 23,400 and 24,950 euros respectively. A production run of 750 units is planned for the limited edition. In the meantime, the standard DS3 offering now includes a new Hickory brown colour, and a Flavio sticker for the roof recently seen at the Citroen Creative Awards.

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Despite its anti-retro marketing message, the Citroen DS3 Cabrio will happen, and will adopt a classic fabric roof with a mechanism similar to that of the Fiat 500, according to L’Automobile Magazine. That means that the Citroen DS3 will keep its central and rear pillars and the arch of the roof, preserving its distinctive look.

According to the report, the DS3 Cabrio will appear in the spring of 2013 and could be renamed Airflow - a name recently registered by the company. If the model appears with this particular roof, it will save on production costs and the cabrio will then be sold at a price below 20,000 euros - necessary if it’s to be competitive we should think.

The DS3 “Airflow” will sport the fabric roof to keep it different from the Peugeot 208 CC, although the two models could share the same platform and engine range. The engine line-up could therefore include 1.6 THP with 155 hp, the 1.6 HDi with 92 hp and its new version with 112 hp. A DS3 Cabrio racing version could also appear.

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Opel is planning a new B segment vehicle to be called the Opel Mokka according to internet rumours. The model is set to compete with the Citroen DS3 and the latest reports regard the name. We’re not quite sold on what sounds like a type of coffee for a car (apart from the spelling) but a DS3 competitor from Opel makes a lot of sense.

The Mokka name has already been filed to be trademarked and the car would be based on a shortened Opel Corsa platform, making this new B segment industrially viable for the company. The small Opel should follow the DS3 trail by providing a distinctive design.

The Opel Mokka (and not Allegra as it is currently known internally) should be compact and original, with a daring interior. It should be no longer than 380 cm and could go on sale as early as next year. An electric Opel would be developed in the future, but it would play a very minor role in company sales.

Source | Automobile Magazine

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Autocar tests the Citroen DS3 Racing and concludes that Citroen has managed to get a decent little hot hatch back into its range. With a “charming” engine, hot styling and some good handling, the Ds3 Racing is the kind of hatch model that you’ll buy if you really want some quirky, kick ass design. The interior is just as funky as the exterior, and it’s got that something extra over the standard Citroen DS3 which was already a nifty little car in its own right.

It’s not all perfect though, with some steering and driving precision proving difficult, particularly in the wet conditions of the video, and with the lower ride height being quite unforgiving when you want a more relaxing drive, or you’re on city streets (with all the associated pot holes that come with them). Still, the verdict is a very good hot hatch model, but we’re interested to find it can’t quite compete with its other French rival, the Renault Sport Clio. What’s more, while Citroen runs away with the hot hatch segment in the PSA Group, we can’t help wondering, and wistfully, after Peugeot and it’s past hot hatch models which went well beyond an orange and carbon fibre trim.

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